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| Much of the walking in this part of the Eifel mountains is in shade, so can be comfortably tackled even on hot days |
Børge Svanholm (1871) - Spanton (1997)
Queen's Pawn Game
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 c5 4.0-0 Nc6 5.d4
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| What's in a name? |
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Quite a few people would probably describe the opening as a King's Indian Attack, while others might call it a Réti. But to me the former needs to have the move d3, and the latter should have c4. ChessBase labels the opening: "D02: 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 sidelines, including 2...Nf6 3.g3 and 2...Nf6 3.Bf4." It could also be thought of as a Reversed Grünfeld, but to me the most appropriate name is Queen's Pawn Game.
5...e6
Tempting is 5...cxd4 6.Nxd4 e5!?, but after 7.Nxc6 bxc5 8.c4 Black's centre is under a lot of pressure, with White scoring 66% in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.
6.Bg5!?
The main line in Mega26 runs 6.c4!? dxc4 7.Qa4 Bd7 8.Qxc4 b5!? 9.Qd3 c4 10.Qd1, when Dragon1 gives White a slight edge, but Stockfish18 calls the position equal.
6...h6 7.Bxf6!?
Consistent, but White's eagerness to give up the bishop-pair makes a strange impression.
7...Qxf6 8.e3 Bd6
This is the commonest continuation in Mega26, albeit from a small sample, but the bishop is a little loose on d6, and the move does not score well. The engines prefer 8...Be7 or 8...cxd4.
9.c4!?
This is the engines' top choice.
9...dxc4 10.Na3
The engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 10.Nbd2!?, and if, as in the game, Black captures on d4 with the c5 pawn, they reckon 11.Nxd4 gives White a won game after 11...Nxd4 12.Ne4! Qd8 13.Qxd4 Bf8 14.Qxc4. Black should probably prefer 10...Qe7, 10...0-0 or 10...c3, but White enjoys at least a slight edge, according to the engines.
10...cxd4
With the white queen's knight on a3, this is Black's best continuation.
11.Nxc4
Almost certainly good for Black is 11.Nxd4?! Bxa3 12.bxa3 Nxd4.
11...Bc5!?
This seems to be a novelty, and probably improves on the known 11...Be7?!, but I may have done better sticking with my first thought of 11...e5!?, although the engines agree White has full compensation for a pawn.
12.exd4 Nxd4 13.Nxd4 Qxd4 14.Qb3
The engines give 14.Qa4+!?, eg 14...Bd7 15.Qb3 Bc6 16.Bxc6+ bxc6 17.Rac1, again claiming full compensation for a pawn.
14...0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White has a lead in development (and can increase that lead by playing 15.Rad1), and has pressure against the black queenside, but, according to the engines, those factors do not quite make up for Black being a pawn up and having the bishop pair.
15.Rad1 Qf6 16.Nd6
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| How should Black proceed? |
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16...Bxd6
Stockfish18 likes 16...Qe7; Dragon1 prefers 16...Bd4.
17.Rxd6 Rb8
This seems a little stronger than 17...Rd8 18.Rxd8+ Qxd8 19.Rd1.
18.Rfd1 b6 19.Qa3 a5
Or 19...Bb7 20.Qxa7 Bxg2 21.Kxg2 Qxb2, when White has enough activity for a pawn, according to the engines.
20.b4 Bb7 21.bxa5 Bxg2 22.Kxg2 bxa5 23.Qxa5 Rb2 24.R1d2
BS offered a draw.
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| How would you assess this heavy-piece middlegame? |
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The position is completely equal, according to Dragon1; Black has a notional advantage of perhaps 0.1, according to Stockfish18.
24...Rfb8 25.Rxb2 Rxb2 26.Qd8+ Qxd8 27.Rxd8+ Kh7
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| This is quite a common type of rook-and-pawn ending, and is completely equal, according to both engines |
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28.Rd7 Kg6 29.Ra7 e5 30.g4!? f6 31.h4!?
BS was highly critical of this in the postmortem, but the engines reckon the game remains equal.
31...h5 32.gxh5+ Kxh5 33.Rxg7 Rxa2
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| Completely equal, according to the engines, although to my eye Black's position looks easier to play |
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34.Rh7+ Kg4 35.h5 Kg5!? 36.Kg3 Ra3+ 37.Kg2 Ra4 38.Kg3 Rg4+ 39.Kf3 Rh4
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| Black is winning a pawn, but the game remains completely equal (Stockfish18) or White is just 0.13 worse (Dragon1) |
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40.Rh8 Rxh5 41.Rxh5+?
Any rook move along the rank draws, although clearly Black would have hopes of somehow winning, but swopping off into a pawn ending loses.
41...Kxh5 42.Ke3
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| Black has two winning moves, but there is a plausible continuation that only draws |
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42...Kg5
Also winning is 42...f5, but 42...Kg4? allows White to get the opposition with 43.Ke4, drawing.
43.Kf3 f5 44.Kg3 f4+ 45.Kf3 Kf5 46.Ke2 Kg4
But not 46...Ke4?, apparently gaining the opposition, as, following 47.f3+ Kd4 48.Kd2, it is White who has the opposition, and after 48...e4 49.fxe4 Kxe4 50.Ke2 the game is a (fairly) trivial book draw, and the try 48...Kc4 49.Kc2 e4 (49...Kb4 50.Kd3) 50.fxe4 f3 is easily answered by 51.Kd2 Kd4 52.e5 Kxe5 53.Ke3.
47.Kf1 Kf3 48.Ke1 Kg2 49.Ke2 f3+ 50.Ke3 e4 0-1
47.Kf1 Kf3 48.Ke1 Kg2 49.Ke2 f3+ 50.Ke3 e4 0-1
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